Hewick aiming to make it third time lucky in French Champion Hurdle
The remarkable Hewick will try to make it third time lucky in Saturday's French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil.
Runner-up to Losange Bleu in last year's Grande Course De Haies d'Auteuil, and fourth in the race in 2023, Hewick is back for another crack at the €390,000 feature, which is off at 3.25 Irish time and live on Sky.
Even by the unlikely standards already achieved by 'Shark' Hanlon's €850 bargain buy during his career, victory in France's biggest hurdles contest might constitute a peak.
He is the sole Irish contender in an eight-runner contest where local star Losange Bleu is favourite to defend his title. Benie Des Dieux was Ireland's last winner six years ago.
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Also lining up is the Paul Nicholls-trained Monmiral, last year's Cheltenham Festival winner, who is part-owned by Alex Ferguson and has been supplemented into the race. Nicholls won the 'Grande Course' in 2016 with Ptit Zig.
Cork-born jockey Gavin Sheehan is again on board Hewick, having guided him into eighth in last month's Grand National at Aintree. Sheehan's only other spin on the hugely popular veteran was when successful in the 2023 King George at Kempton.
'He's a wonderful horse. I said if he won the Grand National, they probably would have made a movie out of him!' Sheehan said.
'Having had that run last year and that experience will help. It's different racing over there, a different style. I've rode in it before and it's a straightforward track. The only difference is they have a hurdle on a bend. The drier the ground the better for him as well,' he added.
Bookmakers rate Hewick a general 11/4 second favourite to challenge the odds-on Losange Bleu.
Sunday's €900,000 highlight at Auteuil is the Grand Steeple-Chase De Paris, off at 3.05.
There will be no Grade One jumps action in Ireland for more than five months, but the relentless National Hunt circus rolls into Wexford on Saturday.
In the wake of Rachael Blackmore's retirement earlier this week, Darragh O'Keeffe continues to be busy picking up the bulk of rides for Henry De Bromhead, and Aspire Tower looks the one to beat in the novice chase.
The last of O'Keeffe's six rides at Wexford is Pebble Bleu in the handicap chase, where the course hurdles winner Kiln Time has just a second start over fences. Inexperience is an obvious concern but a mark of 81 over fences looks exploitable for Harry Kelly's runner.
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Irish Examiner
22 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
'A lot of aspects we wouldn't be happy with' says Pádraic Joyce as Galway edge thriller with Down
DOWN 3-21 (3-4-13) GALWAY 2-26 (2-5-16) In this great football championship, there is no time to cherish just how brilliant these games have been. Galway will move on quickly because they have to. Down will be thanked for playing their part in the second gem in the space of seven days but they will be soon forgotten and this will simply be filed on the growing pile of thrillers this competition has produced. The intense schedule of the championship gives us such small periods to anticipate but reflect too. We are being spoiled and we probably don't even know it because the frequency, not the amount of matches means this scintillating action is merely content. Perhaps later in the year Down's contribution to this fete of football will be acknowledged with an All Star for Odhrán Murdock. He was again immense here. His 64th minute goal brought Down within two points and threatened to spook Galway. After Tomo Culhane's goal and a follow-up point from another substitute Daniel O'Flaherty four minutes later, Pádraic Joyce's side were able to absorb another body blow when Ryan Magill found the net. Céin D'Arcy took plenty out of the sting out of that setback with a point to push Galway four up in the final minute. Ryan McEvoy's two-pointer after the buzzer was mere consolation. 'In fairness to our experienced lads, Peter Cooke made a massive difference when he came on the pitch,' said Pádraic Joyce. 'Tomo got a great goal, Daniel O'Flaherty got two points. 'Our bench has made a massive impact in the last couple of games, as it did today. Johnny Heaney came on after a head injury for Cillian [McDaid], he handled the ball three or four times and minded the ball really, really well. 'A lot of aspects we'd be really happy with, obviously a lot of aspects we wouldn't be happy with and the amount of scores we conceded. But it was that kind of game anyways, it was going to be open. We couldn't have it every way. Happy to get out of here with the win, to be honest.' The 14,435 crowd in Newry's Páirc Esler were genuinely treated to a spectacle and Galway were too good a team to depart at this relatively early juncture but just how many more of these close shaves they can keep enduring in such quick succession is questionable. All the same, they are demonstrating resolve and reserve by the bucketload. If the 1-8 from play return of the Cork inside line on Saturday evening was impressive, Galway's total of 1-13 was wonderful. In light of him turning on the charm once more with a total personal tally of 1-7, the extent of Shane Walsh's shoulder setback will exercise most supporters's minds ahead of their All-Ireland quarter-final. Assisted in no small part by the breeze, Galway's 10-point half-time lead (1-16 to 1-6) was sliced in half in less than four second-half minutes, The margin returned to eight in the 42nd minute but was whittled down to two by the 58th as Conor Flaherty couldn't find white shirts. Daniel Guinness sent over his second two-pointer and substitute Caolan Mooney added back-to-back points and Joyce twice summoned for Connor Gleeson to be ready to come on. However, the change never came. Substitute Cooke was becoming a presence. A Walsh two-point free despite him being clearly lame put Galway five ahead prior to Cooke having a shot kept out by Burns. The finale, the three goals, was popcorn-worthy. There had to be a tragic hero and Murdock made the role his own with his 64th minute goal. In the first quarter between woodwork and parts of Ronan Burns's anatomy, Galway left 2-3 on the pitch. Robert Finnerty was first to be denied by the young Down goalkeeper in the 15th minute and Cillian McDaid was stopped by Burns less than three minutes. Those openings had come after a 14th minute goal by John McGeough that was a casebook example of the lightning dash to Down's football in this championship. The home side had been under immense pressure on their kick-out and conceded five points in a row including a Finnerty two-pointer when a long boot from Burns landed over the Galway cover and Murdock drove forward and supplied McGeough for a tidy finish. At the third time of asking, Galway raised a green flag in the 22nd minute as Walsh took receipt of a Matthew Thompson pass and tucked the ball. However, it was not without controversy as Down's Patrick McCarthy was on the ground with a head injury when Galway turned over the ball in their own half. The Down management were apoplectic on the sideline and made their case to referee Derek O'Mahoney again at half-time. Yet their team's reaction to the setback was strong: Danny Magill sent over a quick brace of points and McCarthy's temporary replacement Eugene Branagan completed a hat-trick of unanswered scores. That 26th minute score, however, was Down's last of the half as Walsh made the game his own for the remainder. He sailed over the first of two-pointers in the 28th minute and caught the next kick-out ball that put in train the attack for a Finnerty point. Walsh brought his personal total to 1-3 with a point on the half-hour mark and then hurt his shoulder when winning a two-point free, which he converted a minute later. Thompson ended the half with three points himself, the second a two-pointer, to give Galway that handsome 10-point lead. In keeping with a championship where no advantage feels secure, it ended up being just about enough. Scorers for Down: O. Murdock (1-2); J. McGeough (1-1); D. Guinness (0-4, 2tps); R. McGill (1-0); D. Magill, M. Rooney (tp), P. Havern (frees), C. Mooney, R. McEvoy (tp) (0-2 each): E. Branagan, A. Crimmins (free), C. Doherty, J. Guinness (0-1 each). Scorers for Galway: S. Walsh (1-7, 2tpfs, 1 tp); R. Finnerty (0-6, 1tp, 1 free); M. Thompson (0-5, 1tp); T. Culhane (1-0); C. McDaid, M. Tierney, D. O'Flaherty (0-2 each); P. Cooke, C. Darcy (0-1 each). DOWN: R. Burns; C. Doherty, P. Fegan, P. Laverty; D. Magill, R. Magill, M. Rooney; D. Guinness, O. Murdock (c); J. Guinness, P. Havern, P. McCarthy; J. McGeough, R. McEvoy, A. Crimmins. Subs: E. Branagan for P. McCarthy (temp 22-26); E. Branagan for P. McCarthy (h-t); C. Mooney for J. McGeough (53); O. Savage for C. Doherty (58); C. McCrickard for A. Crimmins (62); F. Murdock for M. Rooney (66). GALWAY: C. Flaherty; J. McGrath, S. Fitzgerald, L. Silke; D. McHugh, S. Kelly (c), C. Hernon; P. Conroy, J. Maher; C. D'Arcy, M. Tierney, C. McDaid; R. Finnerty, M. Thompson, S. Walsh. Subs: P. Cooke for P. Conroy (48); D. O'Flaherty for C. Hernon (57); J. Heaney for C. McDaid (temp 61-69); T. Culhane for S. Walsh (62); J. Daly for J. Maher (67). Referee: D. O'Mahoney (Tipperary).
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Cathal Murray delighted as Galway begin to hit their straps
Cathal Murray hailed Galway's 'best half-hour of hurling for a while,' as the Tribeswomen cantered to a 1-17 to 0-12 victory over Kilkenny at UPMC Nowlan Park to signal that they are growing into their Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship campaign at just the right time. On a day when the Cork enjoyed a comfortable but unspectacular home win, Tipperary, Waterford and Galway also put their hands up with impressive victories that keep them on O'Duffy Cup holders' coat-tails. The leading challengers had plenty to spare in their wins over Limerick, Dublin and Kilkenny respectively, and Murray was particularly pleased to see his side move through the gears in the second half, as they went from two points up to an eight-point triumph. 'Coming down to Nowlan Park is never easy, and it wasn't easy,' said the Galway manager. 'The first half was really tight, and we were very happy to go in at half-time a couple of points up. There was a strong breeze in it, though you wouldn't think it looking at it,' he said afterwards. 'The second half was different, it was our best half an hour of hurling for a while now, our play was really good and we took some good scores.' Among the highlights were from some excellent moments from player of the match Aoife Donohoe, and a real poacher's goal from Niamh Niland in the closing minutes. The result means that top spot in Group 2, and the prize of a bye through to the last four, will go to the winner of next week's game in Athenry between Galway and Waterford. 'This was always going to be a huge week for us. We had to come down and do our business here and we'll have to do our business again in Kenny Park in a week's time because Waterford are flying it, they're the form team in the group,' Murray concluded. The Déise's 4-16 to 2-11 win over Dublin in Walsh Park, with the visitors' goals coming from Aisling Maher and Emma Flanagan in second-half stoppage time long after the result was decided, ensures that they currently top the table on score difference. Consequently, a draw will be enough for them to bypass the quarter-finals, set to be played in Croke Park in a fortnight as curtain raisers to the two All-Ireland SHC semis. That's nine majors in two games for a Waterford side that had previously been criticised for being goal-shy, three of them coming from the stick of Annie Fitzgerald. 'That was massive for us to qualify for the knockout stages early enough,' said Fitzgerald. 'In previous years we've been chasing this, now it's a one match, winner-takes-all against Galway to see who goes straight to a semi-final. Manager Mick Boland was delighted with how his players responded after going five points down early on when playing into the wind. 'The breeze was very strong, the ball was going an extra ten yards further so we just had to retreat back down the field,' Boland told Off The Ball. 'Then we started to collect a bit of ball then and started to work the ball through the hands. We created three or four goal chances and took two of them. 'Against Kilkenny we put a lot of shots at head or stomach height. Since then, we've learned that if you hit the ball into the ground, it'll either hit the net or it'll need an exceptional save. We've worked a lot on our handling errors too.' With Waterford leading 2-7 to 0-8 at half-time, the second half was one-way traffic, the winners adding 2-7 without reply in the 20 minutes after the resumption. Having already secured a first ever championship win over Kilkenny, Boland's mob are looking to break fresh ground again next week. 'We're qualified, but we look at the Galway match as a match where history can be made, because we've never won in Galway. These girls have a lot of ambition, they want to win something, so we'll want to win, the same as Galway will want to win.' In Group 1, Clare went to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and exploded out of the blocks with a Jennifer Daly goal after 45 seconds, but Cork methodically went about their business and were full value for their 0-21 to 1-9 victory, albeit Amy Lee had to make a couple of excellent saves late on to prevent a more nerve-wracking finale. Next week Cork will play a Wexford side that are in the relegation final against either Dublin or Derry regardless of how they fare, and it would take an unusual set of results for Tipperary to pip Cork to the top spot in the pool. Limerick need an even more outlandish result – a Tipp home win over Clare by 60 points or more – to extend their season. After succumbing to a 4-26 to 0-8 loss in Cappamore, Limerick manager, Joe Quaid's hailed his players' 'remarkably good year,' despite the wide margin. 'This result is proof that the system is flawed,' declared Quaid. 'We had two outstanding matches against Wexford and Clare but were on the end of two hammerings by the two top-tier teams, Cork and Tipp. It's disheartening for the girls because they gave everything they could out there and that's all you can ask. 'If anyone's interested in developing camogie they need to take a look at the championship structure countrywide because these girls train as hard as the Limerick senior hurlers, they're as committed and they don't deserve this. 'To me we've had a remarkably good year. It's been a fruitful year and hopefully this bunch will stick together. That's the big problem, turnover of players. I hope all these girls will stay together next year and build on it again.' Tipperary coach, Michael Ferncombe was already looking ahead but he has had some words of comfort for the Shannonsider. 'Both teams managed the heat very well today, both teams worked hard, the honesty from the two teams was great,' Ferncombe enthused. 'We've played Limerick twice this year and it's always a challenge. The scoreboard doesn't reflect the performance and the effort that the Limerick girls put in. Their honesty, work rate and communication, they kept working the whole way through and that's a great sign for the future of Limerick camogie. 'We've Clare next weekend and a quarter-final in two weeks' time so that's the next step for us now.'
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Tipp belief swells but Cahill left with plenty to tweak
All-Ireland SHC quarter-final: Tipperary: 1-28 Galway: 2-17 Outside the Tipperary dressing room, the mood was electric. There was swagger and self-belief and a sense of vindication that the county are finally back in Croke Park for the first time in six years. Liam Cahill knocked back youthful requests for his branded cap. 'This is my lucky hat,' he said with a laugh. Noel McGrath faced his toughest battle of the evening, as his son refused to leave the Gaelic Grounds pitch, mimicking his royal blue and gold heroes. A line of Gardai became a band of admirers as Ronan Maher emerged to accept his colleague's congratulations. They swept Galway aside in front of a 16,404 crowd. This was a quarter-final played at their ease. Tipperary hit a remarkable 51 shots. Their final scores from play tally was 23 versus just eight conceded. Both teams suffered from patchy shooting, but only one of them never looked in trouble. ''It's always good,' said Cahill of their enormous output. 'But I would say at least 10 to 15 of them were bad decisions. 'That's what I'm talking about when I talk about trying to fix little areas before we go up the road to take on the might of Kilkenny. We'll look at that and we'll see, but that's a very interesting stat. 'Our shots off are important, every team is chasing it now because you have to be in the 30-point bracket or the 2-25, 3-25 to have any chance of winning an All-Ireland.' That was the only slight reference to their sole ambition now. As soon as the cheers popped off around the ground at the news Limerick had been beaten, it was clear the competition was wide open. Cahill was adamant Cork remain 'raging hot favourites.' Kilkenny will be content with that narrative as well. Ahead of that semi-final, Derek Lyng was issued with a reminder of the opportunities and threats. Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond and Sam O'Farrell's rotation was relentless. They scored 0-11 between them. Every single member of the front six scored, only Darragh McCarthy was scoreless from play. The second-half goal was textbook Tipp brilliance. Rhys Shelly to Willie Connors to Noel McGrath, who had the two luxuries that opposition should never afford him: time and space. His diagonal ball found Oisín O'Donoghue. An outstanding move yielded a deserved green flag. 'The game really didn't get into its flow as often as we'd like it to from our perspective," Cahill admitted, "and again, I was probably a little bit disappointed at half-time in some parts of our play. But they're the expectations I have of these players and the standards that I feel they can come to. 'That would be the only reason that I felt I would have been a little bit animated at half-time going in was that those standards, maybe our expectations of players, wasn't where it should be. "As I said, credit to the players, they fixed it again at half-time and got about their business well in the second half. I'm happy with that.' Galway trailed by five at half-time having repeatedly tried to force goals. They clearly felt there was change to be had in the Tipperary full-back line. Eventually, Colm Molloy went past Robert Doyle but they then conceded six successive points. Declan McLaughlin's last-minute strike snuck past Shelly and saved them from a double-digit loss. The defeat remains damning, though. 'We needed them,' said Micheál Donoghue. 'That was the message at half-time. Stay plugging. We were hoping one or two of those goal chances would come early. We got one, but tagged on a few wides after. That was disappointing.' Are Galway bottoming out? Galway's last Leinster title was 2018. They haven't won a minor All-Ireland since 2020. The last U20/U21 was 2011. 'Look, it is easy when there is three defeats to cast that. All of us have to acknowledge there is a lot of hard work. We knew that when we came back to it. That is not to say we have the total say on it. From the top right down, we have to look at what we are doing and look for constant improvement.' Scorers for Tipperary: J. Forde 0-7 (0-1 free, 0-2 s/line); J. Morris, A. Ormond 0-5 each; O. O'Donoghue 1-0; D. McCarthy (frees), J. McGrath 0-3 each; D. Stakelum 0-2; S. O'Farrell, W. Connors, N. McGrath 0-1 each. Scorers for Galway: C. Mannion 0-13 (0-8 frees, 0-3 65); C. Molloy 1-0; D. McLoughlin 1-0; T. Monaghan 0-2; C. Whelan, C. Cooney 0-1 each. TIPPERARY: R. Shelly; R. Doyle, E. Connolly, M. Breen; C. Morgan, R. Maher, R. O'Mara; W. Connors, P. McGarry; J. Morris, A. Ormond, S. O'Farrell; D. McCarthy, J. McGrath, J. Forde. Subs: D. Stakelum for McGarry (half-time); N. McGrath for McGrath (48); O. O''Donoghue for McCarthy (52); C. Stakelum for O'Farrell (60); S. Kennedy for Connors (66). GALWAY: D. Fahy; P. Mannion, D. Burke, D. Morrissey; C. Fahy, G. Lee, S. Linnane; R. Glennon, D. Burke; C. Cooney, C, Mannion, C. Whelan; C. Molloy, B. Concannon, K. Cooney. Subs: TJ Brennan for Linnane (half-time); T. Monaghan for Burke (50); D. McLoughlin for Cooney (52); T. Killeen for Cooney (58); R. Burke for Glennon (66). Referee: S. Stack (Dublin).
